"We had to take some tough decisions, we got through it," Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, told reporters at an event focused on the automaker's 2009 models. He did not disclose the exact number of salaried job cuts.

"We are going to continue to look at our structure and evaluate that versus the external environment," Fields said. "We always continue to look at our structure and what it means to be competitive."

Ford, which posted an $8.7 billion loss in the second quarter, has unveiled plans to introduce six European vehicle models to the North American market and to convert pickup truck plant capacity to car production.

The restructuring plan, a continuation of Ford's efforts in recent years, comes as executives see a migration in demand toward smaller vehicles in the United States due to high gasoline prices as permanent.

Ford's total engine and transmission investments over the next couple of years will be unprecedented, Fields said.

Ford has focused on gas engines such as the EcoBoost, to increase fuel economy, but diesels, hybrids and other engine types will "get their fair share" of the spending, he said.

Fields said it would be too soon to predict a bottom in the U.S. auto market, but added that Ford would be ready to take advantage of a turn when it occurs.

U.S. auto sales fell to a 16-year low in July, landing hardest on the larger trucks and SUVs and on U.S.-based automakers.  Continued...

via reuters